Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest footballer managers of all-time – and Rodri has shared something else that makes him very popular with the players.
The Spaniard is coming to the end of his eighth season in charge at the Etihad Stadium, and it has been a truly incredible stint for him.
After taking a season to work things out and make some key signings, Pep has dominated English football, winning no less than 11 domestic trophies. He has also won the Champions League, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
During his time at City, Pep has proven himself as the ultimate tactician, popularising things such as inverted full-backs, using no out-and-out striker, and using four centre-backs in defence.
As everyone knows, Pep’s intensity is a big contributing factor to his success.
But Rodri says that there is one thing that he is actually great at doing…
Rodri says Pep Guardiola is ‘great’ at giving the Manchester City players days off
With City being as good as they are, one might have thought that the players are just constantly training and perfecting things behind the scenes.
But Rodri suggests that this is not really the case.
He states that Pep is actually very good when it comes to handing players days off. He is quoted as saying in the latest digital magazine: “The manager is great at giving us a day off when he can.
“It is important to spend time with your family and friends when you can, go to a nice restaurant or go for a walk. All of these things can help you relax and feel rested.”
As demanding as Guardiola can be, he knows how important it is not to overload players.
At this stage of the season, the 53-year-old doesn’t like to put on too many sessions for fear of picking up injuries and being left with an even smaller squad.
Pep strikes the perfect balance
Rodri’s comments here suggest that Pep strikes a really good balance with the players.
You can tell that they train hard given how amazing they are in matches, but clearly, they don’t go overboard, and the players are able to have a good amount of downtime.
A good amount of downtime is very important. As much as it’s about footballers being in the best physical shape, it’s also about maximising their mental, social and emotional well-being.
It’s all well and good being fit and having all the tactics locked down. But if everything else is off, then a player will struggle.
This approach from Pep has gone down well with the squad. Manuel Akanji has been quoted as saying this week that he ‘finds a lot of different ways to improve you as a player’, and surely this is one of those ways.